Isle of Wight: Calls for cost-of-living emergency to be declared

Isle of Wight councillors expect 54% of homes to struggle this winter

More than half of the Isle of Wight's households will soon be under food or energy stress, leading to calls for a cost of living emergency to be declared.

Labour councillor Richard Quigley said he expected 54% of homes to struggle this winter.

Mr Quigley wants a working group established to address the issues.

He said all 39 councillors must put politics aside "for the good of the island".

Meanwhile, councillor Michael Lilley wants an emergency declared and a package of support put in place.

Mr Lilley, the mayor of Ryde and Alliance Group member, wants collaboration with town, community and parish councils and the voluntary sector at grass-root levels.

Islanders have been calling on the council for help, councillor Richard Quigley said

Mr Quigley said since July islanders had been coming to him worried and confused about how they were going to be able to pay their bills.

"In the old days, you had a bill which you paid quarterly and that was it, now if you pay on a direct debit you don't really know how much you're getting through," he said.

"Rents are also going up and there's the cost of food too."

He called on the council to set up a working party to take a co-ordinated approach to addressing the emergency and to provide resources where possible.

"The conservative group made an amendment to put half a million into tree planting. But you can't eat trees, it'd be better spent on emergency packages for heating and food," he said.

Mr Quigley called for emergency packages to help with heating and food to be provided to islanders

Ventnor resident Myra Butcher has seven people living in her household.

"I'm really stressed about what's round the corner," she said.

The mother of five had just £40 to spend on food last week.

"It's definitely got tougher, I've had to cut back on my weekly shop," she added.

One Isle of Wight resident said she had already cut back on her weekly food shop

Mrs Butcher said she was currently spending £35-40 a week on electricity without putting the heating on.

"I don't use the tumble dryer anymore," she said.

"I have no idea how I'm going to cope and my youngest has got a chest infection at the moment."

Conservative group member Paul Brading said: "Everyone needs help at the moment and I will be voting for the motions.

"I absolutely agree, the Conservatives haven't discussed this yet but we are concerned as a group about the cost-of-living crisis on the island."

The two motions will be discussed and voted on at the full council's meeting on Wednesday.